Since Brandon has become interested in skimo racing, we've looked for one or two races to travel to each year as there is only one in Washington state. This year, he thought it would be interesting and cool to participate in the U.S. Ski Mountaineering Championships, held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. And it just happened to line up with our anniversary, so we decided to make a trip out of it.
Most of our skimo experience has been participating in Alpental's VertFest, in which 99% of the people are 'recreational' athletes, out to have a good time and get some exercise. At the U.S. Ski Mountaineering Championships, a vast majority of the participants were serious athletes. Some are sponsored as skimo racers, some as trail runners, some for both sports. Most have a legitimate training regiment and have really dialed in their techniques and equipment to a level that is quite impressive.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Krill @ http://crestedbuttephotography.smugmug.com/
At the start, I glanced around and noticed there were very few 'heavy' set-ups and most of the participants were in skin-suits. I couldn't heckle Brandon as he clearly fit in with the majority. :) A quick race summary for you:
Brandon participated in the race category, which covered over 8,000 feet of vertical gain and loss, including a couple mandatory bootpack sections. He is disappointed in his performance, having come in 32nd, after setting the goal of top 25, and being there most of the race. The main disappointment comes from knowing he could've done better if he had a better system of dealing with skin failure, which caused a lot of time loss on the last uphill.
I participated in the rec category, which covered a little over 3,000 feet of vertical gain and loss. Within the first 5 minutes of the climb, I was really struggling to catch my breath, definitely feeling the impact of not living and/or training anywhere near that elevation. At this point, I was passed by A LOT of people and then looked back to see that I was near the back of the pack. Here, my goal shifted from trying my hardest to just not quitting b/c I was pretty discouraged at my position and the way I felt physically...I'm disappointed that I didn't continue to challenge myself b/c I could've done better had I done so.
If you want to get an idea of the race, check out this video (trust me, these people are moving fast even if the video makes it look like they're just out for a walk):
At any rate, we were both glad we did the race and we look forward to continuing to improve in all areas.
Brandon reserved us an awesome cabin in Driggs, so we returned back to the cabin to eat well and relax for a day before our return to home and work.
Sourdough pancakes (made from a starter) with huckleberry butter, an egg, and bacon...
I love having a hubby that is such a good cook!
We spent a full day in front of the fire reading.
the Colter Cabin; I could totally live here.
Tenderloin in hollandaise sauce; Beet, Celery, and Chevre salad...
seriously, how did I get this lucky?!
And finish it all off with Pecan Sweet Potato Pie
It was a great anniversary weekend, with a perfect combination of comfort, pleasure, and even some of that pain that we somehow enjoy.
1 comment:
What a great trip!
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